]]>In the News: 9.21.2017http://sfbaytimes.com/news-9-21-2017/
Thu, 21 Sep 2017 17:57:50 +0000http://sfbaytimes.com/?p=14271Compiled by Dennis McMillan City Seeks Answers After Murder of Popular LGBTQ DJ Anthony ‘Bubbles’ Torres “The San Francisco Police Department is working vigorously to solve the homicide case of Anthony ‘Bubbles’ Torres,” Mayor Ed Lee said in a statement following the September 9 early morning killing of the beloved LGBTQ DJ and nightlife personality, […]

City Seeks Answers After Murder of Popular LGBTQ DJ Anthony ‘Bubbles’ Torres

“The San Francisco Police Department is working vigorously to solve the homicide case of Anthony

‘Bubbles’ Torres,” Mayor Ed Lee said in a statement following the September 9 early morning killing of the beloved LGBTQ DJ and nightlife personality, who was fatally shot in the Tenderloin. Mayor Lee continued, “While initial reports do not indicate that the killing was motivated by hate, we are nonetheless shocked and saddened that one of San Francisco’s most colorful activists has been lost to violence.” He added that they are asking the community to cooperate with the police so they can bring Bubbles’ killer to justice. “In the wake of Bubbles’ death, we want to express our support for members of the LGBT community affected by this terrible news,” Lee continued. “San Francisco is a place of love, peace and compassion, and we want every person who lives in this City to feel secure and protected. We ask any residents who are feeling unsafe to contact the SF LGBT Center at 415-865-5555 for information on support resources and grief counseling.” Supervisor Jane Kim informed the San Francisco Examiner that a mural may be created in honor of Torres, should a site for it be secured and if enough funds for the artwork are raised.

San Franciscans Flock to Care2 Petition to Rename SF Street After ‘Bubbles’

A Care2 petition is asking San Francisco to rename Myrtle Street in the Tenderloin after the aforementioned Bubbles. The petition (http://www.thepetitionsite.com/984/961/601/) as of this writing has nearly 12,000 supporters. After Anthony Torres was killed at the corner of Larkin and Myrtle streets, many San Franciscans took to social media to mourn, filling Bubbles’ Facebook page with videos and photos of moments they had shared with him. “I have talked to San Franciscans who say Bubbles was a welcoming, loving, and beautiful person. They say he embodied San Francisco’s ethos: be whoever you want to be,” writes Care2 petition author and San Francisco resident Julie Mastrine. “Many have said they would love to see Bubbles memorialized by the City in some way: perhaps by renaming Myrtle Street in the Tenderloin to Bubbles Street.”

By the end of this month, we should know which Bay Area design team will be chosen to re-design Harvey Milk Plaza in the Castro. As of this writing, there are three finalists: Groundworks Office, Kuth|Ranieri Architects, and Perkins Eastman. “We are excited to share these three finalists who represent very distinct design approaches that re-envision this important public space,” said Andrea Aiello, who is President of the Friends of Harvey Milk Plaza and Executive Director of Castro/Upper Market Community Benefit District. “Recognizing the important role of the community, two community meetings were held back in January to kick-off this redesign effort. We then took that input and folded it into the design brief and now we are asking the public, especially the Castro and the LGBT community, to respond to the shortlisted designs.” Public comment ends today, September 21. (If you read this article by the end of today, the survey is at neighborland.com/harveymilk). Images showing the various design options are at: https://archpaper.com/2017/09/design-harvey-milk-plaza-three-proposals/

The tragedy of HIV/AIDS in the hemophilia community can never be forgotten, said National AIDS Memorial sponsors. The Hemophilia Memorial, located within the Moonwalk Crescent in the San Francisco park, will be a place where people can grieve, remember, and look to the future with hope. In the early days of the AIDS epidemic, over 50% of U.S. hemophiliacs died from the disease as a result of our nation’s contaminated blood supply. The memorial serves as an important reminder of all of those lives, and pays tribute to the courage and activism of this community, which worked tirelessly to ensure America’s blood supply is safe and that this tragedy will never happen again.

Work is scheduled to start on the newest addition to Jane Warner Plaza in the Castro. Entitled “The Seed,” this will be an art installation of six 13-foot-tall abstract dandelion LED light features. The first step will be to empty the plaza’s planters and to pour cement for the installation’s foundation. The area around the planters will be taped off to pedestrians. As a result, the regular “Live! in the Castro” events will have to be rescheduled. This construction will not affect the streetcars running while cement dries. It will take 25 days for the cement to harden, before the installation can proceed. The tentative grand unveiling will be Friday, October 27.

The state Assembly has approved a “sanctuary state” measure that would put new restrictions on interactions between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities. The Assembly’s 49–25 vote officially sets up a vote in the Senate. The Senate approved a tougher version of the measure before it was watered down in the Assembly in response to concerns from law enforcement and California Governor Jerry Brown. Democrats say the bill, SB 54, will help ensure that immigrants feel safe reporting crimes to law enforcement. But Republicans argue the bill would only provide comfort to people who commit crimes and would force immigration agents to conduct neighborhood raids if their actions are restricted in jails.

Discriminatory Ban Already Harming Transgender Troops and the U.S. Military

Lambda Legal and OutServe-SLDN have asked a federal court to immediately halt all steps taken to implement the Trump Administration’s discriminatory plan to ban transgender individuals from serving openly in the U.S. Armed Services. These organizations believe that the ban has already caused harm to transgenders in the military, not to mention the transgender community as a whole, and have filed a motion for preliminary injunction in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. The motion asks the court to preliminarily enjoin the government from taking actions inconsistent with the military policy that existed prior to July 26, 2017, under which transgender service members were allowed to serve openly, and transgender Americans seeking to join the military had a path forward for doing so. In the lawsuit, Lambda Legal and OutServe-SLDN are now representing nine individual plaintiffs, all of whom are transgender, and three organizational plaintiffs—the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), Seattle-based Gender Justice League, and the American Military Partners Association (AMPA).

San Francisco on the Road to Becoming First City to Have Zero New HIV Infections

According to the “HIV Epidemiology Annual Report,” San Francisco is on the road to becoming the first city to achieve the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) goals of zero new HIV infections, zero HIV-associated deaths, and zero stigma and discrimination. The findings in the report include that new HIV diagnoses in San Francisco declined to a record low in 2016, and among men, the annual rate of new HIV diagnoses for all racial and ethnic groups continued a 10-year decline. “Never have there been more people living with HIV in San Francisco, yet we continue to see sharp drops in new transmissions,” said Supervisor Jeff Sheehy, who is HIV positive and is a co-founder of San Francisco’s Getting to Zero Consortium. “San Francisco’s Getting to Zero model is being replicated around the world, however, with 13% of all newly diagnosed persons homeless—a proportion that is increasing over time—and only 31% of homeless persons living with HIV virally suppressed, we are clearly failing to address health and housing disparities,” he added. “San Francisco can be the first city to get to zero, but only if we continue to deploy the necessary resources for core services and new initiatives for those most in need.”

Judith Kasen-Windsor, widow of renowned LGBT activist Edie Windsor (1929–2017), and Roberta “Robbie” Kaplan, Edie Windsor’s attorney, have issued the following statements on Windsor’s passing in New York on September 12 at the age of 88. “I lost my beloved spouse Edie, and the world lost a tiny, but tough-as-nails, fighter for freedom, justice and equality,” said Judith Kasen-Windsor. “Edie was the light of my life. She will always be the light for the LGBTQ community, which she loved so much and which loved her right back.” Kaplan, in part, wrote: “Representing Edie Windsor was and will always be the greatest honor of my life.” She said Windsor will go down in the history books as a true American hero. Kaplan concluded, “I also know that her memory will be a blessing, not only to every LGBT person on this planet, but to all who believe in the concept of b’tzelem elohim, or equal dignity for all.” A public memorial was held Friday, September 15, at Riverside Memorial Chapel. Hillary Clinton eloquently paid tribute to Windsor at the funeral on that same day, held at New York City’s Temple Emanu-El. In lieu of flowers, Edie Windsor requested that any donations in her memory be made to the following organizations: The LGBT Center, Callen-Lorde, Hetrick-Martin Institute, and SAGE. (For more about Windsor, see page 6 of this issue.)

]]>Ann Rostow: Unconscious in Seattlehttp://sfbaytimes.com/ann-rostow-unconscious-seattle/
Thu, 21 Sep 2017 17:56:17 +0000http://sfbaytimes.com/?p=14269By Ann Rostow– Unconscious in Seattle Before we start our bimonthly examination of GLBT news and views, I wonder what you readers think of the guy that knocked the crazy Nazi to the sidewalk in Seattle the other day. You must have seen the report of how “antifa” twitter users tracked the man, who was […]

Before we start our bimonthly examination of GLBT news and views, I wonder what you readers think of the guy that knocked the crazy Nazi to the sidewalk in Seattle the other day. You must have seen the report of how “antifa” twitter users tracked the man, who was wearing a swastika armband and harassing people on the bus. Eventually, a big strong guy ran into Mr. Nazi on the street, Mr. Nazi said something and the guy threw one punch to the jaw, decked him and walked away.

Later, the police said the Nazi took off his armband, declined to pursue the matter and presumably slunk away.

My problem is that a large part of me enjoyed the spectacle, which naturally was captured on video and posted online. It was like a reverse hate crime. Hate crimes, by the way, are insidious because they attack—not just the immediate victim—but all those similarly situated. When a gay man is bashed walking down the street, other gay men are frightened. So, hello neo-Nazis of Seattle! You might consider taking off your armbands and keeping your mouth shut around your fellow citizens. Or else you might be next.

Of course, that reaction would not have been a problem if I did not have an even stronger impulse to condemn violence and politically targeted violence, in particular.

But that sounds in my own head suspiciously like Donald Trump’s “bad people on both sides” crazy racist nonsense, doesn’t it?

I think the key here is that our guy, the puncher, and our side, the twitter stalkers, identified this racist, tracked him and knocked him unconscious. Yes, we were reacting in a way, just as the Charlottesville protesters were reacting to white supremacists on parade. But, to be honest about it, we weren’t just reacting. We identified an enemy and went after him. He may have been spouting bigoted ranting, but he was a single individual and we knocked him unconscious.

What’s the difference between what we (and I include myself, because I was deeply pleased by the entire episode) did in the Seattle case, and let’s say, getting together and burning down a Klan meeting place, or actually killing a Klansman? And for those who say that’s fine, who decides which white supremacists deserve our wrath? Law enforcement and courts? Or the mob?

Let’s admit it. The rule of law was abandoned in Seattle, and the fact that many of us applauded right along with that is chilling.

Oh, and is it a thing now that anyone who stands up against racism is part of some formal “antifa” organization?

Back to the Grindstone for SCOTUS

Moving right along, over the last year or so, I’ve almost felt guilty for my relentless coverage of Masterpiece Cakeshop’s petition for Supreme Court review. Loyal readers recall that the High Court sat on the case for months, neither rejecting nor accepting the debate between the wedding cake baker and Colorado’s gay rights bill. It wasn’t news yet, but it was lurking under the surface, ready to rear its ugly head. Now, like a pessimistic weatherman in a category four hurricane, I have been vindicated. (Exclamation mark deleted.)

Changing the subject briefly, it bothers me when people say “Cat Four” or “Cat Five” as if they themselves were meteorologists chatting with co-workers down at the storm center. How hard is it to say “category”? I feel the same way about most professional verbal shortcuts, and I also hate it when commentators use arcane acronyms. Speak clearly, everyone. We’re not all too cool for school.

Where was I? Oh, yes. Masterpiece Cakeshop! I have been vindicated because Masterpiece is now the darling of constitutional journalists, popping up on everyone’s radar now that the High Court has accepted review. And, as I feared (this section seems to be all about me), the facts of the litigation set themselves up perfectly for armchair lawyers to hem and haw about thorny constitutional issues that a) misrepresent the situation, and b) are not even that thorny.

How can the government “force” the poor Christian baker, Jack Phillips, to put his talent and art in the service of a union that defies his faith? How can the state oblige Jack to add his voice to the choir now singing to celebrate the sinful wedding? (Quite easily, actually. Faith doesn’t trump civil rights law, and making cakes does not qualify as speech.)

But but, um um um, what about the Jewish baker who doesn’t want to make a swastika cake! What about him, huh?

At the risk of repeating myself, no one asked Jack Phillips to make a penis cake or produce anything inappropriate. In fact, no one asked Phillips for anything. As soon as Phillips realized his clients were two engaged men looking to celebrate their wedding, he refused to do business with them, period.

Please indulge me yet again, dear readers. We have to keep repeating these observations until people stop whining about them. No baker is ever required to create a hateful or obscene product simply because a customer requests such a thing. Years ago, I covered a New Jersey baker who refused to write “Happy Birthday Adolf Hitler” on a cake (that was meant for a three-year-old who had been named Adolf Hitler). And in Colorado not that long ago, some joker tried to order a cake with an antigay message to illustrate this non-point. The baker declined to fill the order, and the customer’s “discrimination” complaint was dismissed.

Because it’s not discriminatory to decline a specific order. It’s discriminatory to decline to do business with a protected category of clients.

As for the baker’s “artistic” freedom of expression, virtually all service providers can make the claim that they too are “artists,” injecting every transaction with a seed of personal creativity.

Why should the chef at the restaurant create a chef d’oeuvre for a gay table for two if he is not so inclined?

Didn’t the landlord at the picturesque inn design the garden and oversee construction of the gazebo? Why should her landscaping talents now contribute to the success of a gay wedding? Why should she have to watch it? Why should she have to pour Champagne (which takes a certain stylistic je ne sais quoi, by the way). Why should she have to see those simpering guests get AIDS all over her stemware? Plus, it all goes against her faith

Again, leaving aside religious qualms, can the state require a wedding singer, or a photographer, to put his or her artistic talents in service to a message he or she does not support? Part of the problem with Jack and his wedding cake is that no one at a wedding would associate a cake with its baker’s personal message. I’m torn, however, about the photographer, because although the wedding album is certainly not the artistic vision of the photographer, the composition of a photograph and the creative energy of capturing the event does seem to reflect something of the person who wields the camera.

As for the wedding singer, I don’t think he or she can be required to sing at a wedding that he or she doesn’t support.

And herein lies a problem with the Masterpiece Cakeshop case. Like all Supreme Court cases it’s not 100 percent clear cut. But that does not mean that the outcome should be muddled or partial or compromised. Far from it, because any compromise in this case will eviscerate anti-discrimination laws protecting the GLBT community, and perhaps do even more damage. Why should a baker have to serve an interracial couple if she opposes such unions? Why should a chauvinist mechanic help a woman driver? You get the picture.

The High Court’s new session starts right about now, with the first conference meeting to decide on pending petitions September 25. Note that another reluctant wedding purveyor, florist Baronnelle Stutzman from the state of Washington, has asked for Supreme Court review. We are also looking for the Court to take the case of a Georgia lesbian, fired from her job in what our side believes is a violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Troubled Activist Dead for No Reason

I’m sure you read about what sounds like suicide by cop by the head of the Pride Alliance at Georgia Tech, Scout Schultz. Schultz, who did not identify as either male or female, reportedly called 911 and reported that a white male with long blond hair was wandering around intoxicated and carrying a gun and a knife. In fact, Schultz did not have a gun, but was carrying what looked like a Leatherman tool, kind of a Swiss army knife gadget, not something that could do anyone harm. Schultz, who yelled, “Shoot me! Shoot me!” at the compliant officers, also left several suicide notes in the dorm room.

The story is tragic, but begs the question again. Why is it that armed police seem incapable of defusing common situations? Yes, a bullet to the heart will settle the matter. And all these cops apparently have to tell a jury or a judge in order to justify deadly force is that they were scared or threatened.

But shouldn’t they be trained to handle trouble without ending the life of a 14-year-old with a toy gun, a shopper checking out a rifle in a store, or a graduate student suffering from depression? Can they not reason? Can they not tase? Can they not shoot darts or aim for a leg? Nearly two decades into the 21st century, can we not provide some technology that disables a citizen without sending him or her to the morgue as punishment for unnerving an inept police officer? Laser gun? Anything?

Houston: We Have a Problem

So, speaking of the Supreme Court, the city of Houston has asked the justices to review the bizarre ruling by the Texas Supreme Court last June, in which the Lone Star justices said that the Court’s marriage equality ruling might not necessarily mean that gay couples must be given the same marriage benefits as straight couples.

Prior to the 2015 marriage equality decision, a couple of antigay taxpayers had sued Houston, insisting that the city should not be offering benefits to married gay staff. After the Supreme Court’s decision in Obergefell, however, most people assumed the debate of marriage rights was over. Done. Settled. Bam.

But the plaintiffs in the case against Houston insisted that marriage equality just mandated that gay couples be allowed to marry. The Supreme Court, they claimed, did not rule that gay couples were owed the same marriagebenefits as heterosexuals.

In fact, the Supreme Court ruled very clearly that gay couples deserved equal marriage benefits; all of the dozens of marriage cases involved benefits, and not some theoretical right to a marriage license. But, despite this, the Texas Supreme Court ruled that the issue of benefits remained an open question, and remanded the case back to the lower court for continued litigation.

Readers, this was simple insanity.

The Supreme Court has been asked about several aspects of its 2015 marriage ruling. By asked, I mean that the Court has been petitioned to review this or that topsy-turvy decision by this or that infuriating state court. The Alabama Supreme Court refused to recognize an adoption contracted by two married lesbians in Georgia. The Arkansas Supreme Court refused to list the names of two married female parents on their child’s birth certificate. In both of those cases, the High Court dispensed with any arguments or briefs, simply ruling virtually instantaneously that the state courts had it wrong.

We hope that the Supremes do the same to Texas. It was noteworthy that three, not four, justices dissented on the Arkansas birth certificate reversal. Chief Justice Roberts did not join the insufferable Neil Gorsuch in his high-hatted defense of the Hog State, while Justices Thomas and Alito happily signed their names to his pompous musings. Did this mean that Roberts believes the marriage case was rightly decided after all? Does Roberts believe that our legal tradition requires he uphold recently decided matters of law? Is he keeping his powder dry? Did he disagree with Gorsuch’s reasoning?

Only the shadow knows. But at least we should be able to count on our gay rights majority holding for the Texas case. Let’s hope, however, that rather than delaying, the justices instead make quick work of Houston’s petition and shut the door on the insidious notion that marriage benefits can be parsed on the basis of sexual orientation.

]]>A Love Affair with Edie Windsorhttp://sfbaytimes.com/love-affair-edie-windsor/
Thu, 21 Sep 2017 17:53:01 +0000http://sfbaytimes.com/?p=14264By Stuart Gaffney and John Lewis Although we met Edie Windsor only once, we’ll never forget the moment. It was on the steps of the United States Supreme Court back in March 2013, just minutes after the U.S. Supreme Court had concluded oral argument in Edie’s landmark lawsuit challenging the so-called Defense of Marriage Act […]

Although we met Edie Windsor only once, we’ll never forget the moment. It was on the steps of the United States Supreme Court back in March 2013, just minutes after the U.S. Supreme Court had concluded oral argument in Edie’s landmark lawsuit challenging the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (“DOMA”).

Edie had just finished a formal press conference, but she really wanted to be where her heart was: with all of the LGBTQ people gathered outside the Supreme Court that historic day. Edie was not to be denied—either before the Justices of the Court or with the LGBTQ community on the Court steps. As her legal team attempted to marshal her off the Supreme Court plaza, Edie, like the 84-year-old lesbian fireball of spirit, energy, and joy she was, stretched out her arms—really her entire body—to be part of all those gathered, including us.

When Time magazine honored Edie as Number 3 on its 2013 “Person of the Year” list, she responded: “The gay community is my ‘person of the year.’” She explained, “I am just one person who was part of the extraordinary and ongoing fight for marriage equality for all our families. There are thousands of people who helped us come this far and we still have a lot more work to do … . I look forward to continuing to fight for equal rights and educate the public about our lives alongside my gay brothers and sisters and our allies.”

Edie was a long-time grassroots activist. She was an early active member of Marriage Equality New York, then Marriage Equality USA (MEUSA), the grassroots organization with which we worked for many years. Always feisty and outspoken, Edie recounted in the new anthology The People’s Victory how, when an LGBT leader at a community meeting urged patience in seeking marriage equality, she raised her hand and demanded: “I’m 77 years old and I can’t wait!! What do we have to do?”

A key reason for urgency on Edie’s part was that her partner of over 40 years, Thea, was very ill with advanced multiple sclerosis. A tireless fighter, Edie went to every rally or event she could. At an organizing meeting, Edie met MEUSA leaders Michael Sabatino and Robert Voorheis, who made the connection that led to Edie marrying Thea in Canada.

Michael and Robert recount in The People’s Victory how Edie and Thea flew to Toronto, Canada, and were married by Canada’s first openly gay judge, Justice Harvey Brownstone, in May 2007. “Thea required assistance to get on and off the plane and to disassemble and reassemble her wheelchair. Edie recalled, ‘I couldn’t put a ring on her finger without someone holding her hand out because Thea was no longer able to lift her hand herself.'”

When Thea died, Edie had to pay over $363,000 in federal estate taxes because they were lesbians and the federal government would not recognize their marriage. Edie wanted to rectify this injustice through a federal lawsuit. When a number of LGBT leaders and organizations believed that her case was not the best one to challenge DOMA, Edie persisted and found private counsel to bring the case. Eventually, everyone—including the U.S. Justice Department itself—worked to achieve victory at the Supreme Court.

The Court found Edie’s story and the multitude of harms that DOMA inflicted on thousands and thousands of same-sex couples compelling, and declared DOMA unconstitutional. Justice Ginsburg later described Edie and Thea’s relationship as a “grand partnership.” At oral argument in Edie’s case, Justice Ginsburg opined that while heterosexual couples have “full marriage,” DOMA relegated same-sex couples like Edie and Thea to a second class, “skim milk marriage.”

The Supreme Court’s Windsor decision is powerful. In striking down DOMA, Justice Kennedy wrote: “DOMA instruct[ed] all federal officials, and indeed all persons with whom same-sex couples interact, including their own children, that their marriage [was] less worthy than the marriages of others.” DOMA’s purpose was to “injure” and “disparage” married same-sex couples and to make them “unequal” to everyone else. As such, DOMA violated the constitutional rights of LGBT couples.

Whenever we give presentations about marriage equality, we tell Edie and Thea’s story. On one memorable occasion, a middle school student, upon hearing how unfairly DOMA had treated Edie, yelled spontaneously in front of an entire school assembly, “That’s bulls–t!” Edie would have loved it.

Edie’s story is testament to the importance of standing up and speaking out over and over again. Her story is filled with love—and inspiration, and hope for LGBTQ people in the face of adversity. Edie embodies the power of our everyday personal stories and grassroots activism to change hearts and minds all across America all the way to the United States Supreme Court. Edie once described her experience after the Supreme Court victory to The New Yorker magazine as follows: “I don’t know how to say it that’s not corny as hell—I’ve been having a love affair with the gay community” and “I think Thea would love it.”

As we honor Edie at the time of her passing away, we are confident that the community—and America’s—love affair with Edie will live on for generations to come.

John Lewis and Stuart Gaffney, together for over three decades, were plaintiffs in the California case for equal marriage rights decided by the California Supreme Court in 2008. Their leadership in the nationwide grassroots organization Marriage Equality USA contributed in 2015 to making same-sex marriage legal nationwide.

]]>Oakland Stands Up to DACA Threats with New Resolutionhttp://sfbaytimes.com/oakland-stands-daca-threats-new-resolution/
Thu, 21 Sep 2017 17:48:54 +0000http://sfbaytimes.com/?p=14262By Rebecca Kaplan, Oakland City Councilmember At-Large As the Trump administration prepares to wind down the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, I am proud to announce that my colleagues and I on the Oakland City Council are bringing forward a Resolution (https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-xmUQ57c5Z7SGVSUlhqSXRQVGM/view) in support of the program and the youth it was designed […]

As the Trump administration prepares to wind down the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, I am proud to announce that my colleagues and I on the Oakland City Council are bringing forward a Resolution (https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-xmUQ57c5Z7SGVSUlhqSXRQVGM/view) in support of the program and the youth it was designed to protect.

The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA) that President Obama enacted in 2012 by Presidential Executive Order is the most important and far reaching immigration reform adopted during President Obama’s eight-year Presidency. It offered thousands of young people the opportunity to come out of the shadows and live free from fear of imminent deportation.

Nearly 800,000 DACA youth—220,000 who live in the Bay Area—have come forward, passed extensive background checks, and received permission to live and work in the United States. With DACA, they have advanced their education, started small businesses, and more fully established themselves as integral members of our society. Deporting DACA youth would tear apart families and communities, and adversely impact our economy and nation.

Oakland, like a growing number of municipalities around the country, is standing up to threats against privacy and liberties by taking meaningful steps to ensure that communities are safe, and that all residents’ rights are respected so that our City may continue to thrive.

Earlier this year, I authored a Resolution (https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4k7eaDkAjFzZVc2bE9TVnU2OWs/view) that stopped an agreement between the Oakland Police Department and the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Agency. City Council unanimously passed my Resolution, furthering Oakland’s Sanctuary City status, and encouraging cooperation with local law enforcement.

I have now come together with Councilmember Brooks and Gallo to advance the aforementioned Resolution opposing any federal action that would rescind the DACA initiative, and urging Congress to immediately restore and continue the DACA program in its entirety.

In Oakland and throughout the Bay Area, we must make our voices heard. We stand by our immigrant brothers and sisters, and recognize the contributions of immigrants to our neighborhoods, schools, economies, and communities.

Councilmember At-Large Rebecca Kaplan was elected in 2008 to serve as Oakland’s citywide Councilmember; she was re-elected in 2016.
She also serves on the Board of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD), and as the Chair of the Alameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC).

]]>California Advances LGBT Rights as Nation Struggles with Equalityhttp://sfbaytimes.com/california-advances-lgbt-rights-nation-struggles-equality/
Thu, 21 Sep 2017 17:47:37 +0000http://sfbaytimes.com/?p=14260By Assemblymember Phil Ting The protests in Charlottesville, Virginia, last month revealed a sad fact—not all Americans believe in equality and justice for all. We subsequently saw the President defend these hateful views and, in a direct attack on the LGBT community, he signed a directive banning transgender individuals from serving in the military. This […]

The protests in Charlottesville, Virginia, last month revealed a sad fact—not all Americans believe in equality and justice for all. We subsequently saw the President defend these hateful views and, in a direct attack on the LGBT community, he signed a directive banning transgender individuals from serving in the military.

This setback for transgender rights is repulsive, but not surprising. Rolling back on the progressive actions from the Obama Administration boosts the President’s far-right supporters. But there has been a silver lining in this storm. Allies to the community are speaking out and fighting back.

While Secretary of Defense James Mattis figures out how his department will implement the ban, Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) have introduced an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act to protect transgender service members from the ban.

Additionally, the American Civil Liberties Union and Equality California have filed lawsuits on behalf of transgender service members challenging the constitutionality of the ban as a violation of their equal protection rights.

Whatever it takes, whether it is through Congress or through the courts, we will fight this injustice together, because civil rights are meaningful only when they apply the same to everyone.

While California can’t pass legislation impacting military service, we passed Assembly Joint Resolution 24, which calls on Mattis to continue allowing transgender service members to serve their country and declares that: “There is no lawful or practical reason to force service members who are able to fight, train, and deploy to leave our military—regardless of their gender expression or gender identity.”

The California State Legislature has also passed key bills to further protect the rights and dignity of the LGBT community. If signed by Governor Jerry Brown, California will show the nation that there is another path than the direction the White House is taking us. And, it’s much better!

SB 219, the Seniors Long Term Care Bill of Rights, protects LBGT seniors living in long term care facilities against discrimination;

SB 239 helps end the stigma against people living with HIV by eliminating draconian HIV-specific criminal laws that impose harsh penalties;

SB 310, the Name and Dignity Act, allows transgender people facing incarceration to be able to petition the court to change their legal name or gender;

Assembly Bill (AB) 677 directs state agencies on education and employment to collect data on sexual orientation and gender identity when demographic data is being collected, because LGBT people face disparities in health and well-being;

AB 1556 removes gendered terms from the Fair Employment and Housing Act to ensure that transgender and non-binary people have the same protections as cisgender individuals.

As Governor Brown considers these bills, you have a chance to speak out and be heard by contacting him through his website (www.gov.ca.gov). We may endure wave after wave of slights and injustices from this White House, but we can strengthen our state laws while we weather this storm from Washington. By getting involved at this critical time, you can help to strengthen equality in California.

Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) represents the 19th Assembly District, which includes the Westside of San Francisco along with the communities of Broadmoor, Colma, Daly City, and parts of South San Francisco.

]]>Speaking Up for Title IX in the Age of Trumphttp://sfbaytimes.com/speaking-title-ix-age-trump/
Thu, 21 Sep 2017 17:45:37 +0000http://sfbaytimes.com/?p=14257By Andrea Shorter This has been a time of cutting through a lot of “noise.” There’s the noise about a White House press secretary alarmingly deeming it a “fireable offense” for an ESPN African American female sports journalist to have called out the President for favoring, apparently being, and surrounding himself with white supremacists in […]

This has been a time of cutting through a lot of “noise.” There’s the noise about a White House press secretary alarmingly deeming it a “fireable offense” for an ESPN African American female sports journalist to have called out the President for favoring, apparently being, and surrounding himself with white supremacists in the White House. There’s the bothersome, nattering chatter about whether or not former Secretary of State and the first almost first woman President Hillary Clinton—who handily won the popular vote despite Russia’s interference in our 2016 election to favor her opponent—should continue speaking up and out about “what happened” that led to her loss to a misogynist realtor and reality TV game show host.

What is disturbing about the narratives surrounding Jemele Hill’s personal tweets and Hillary Clinton’s embarking upon her What Happened book tour is the similar treatment of U.S. Senators Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren for being cut off in their allotted time for questioning in committee hearings or for address on the senate floor. The all-too-common response denominator: castigate women for speaking their own truths and truth to power.

To me, the noise isn’t at all what these women are saying; the noise emits from the rapid shut- down response to what they are saying—especially if it is critical of harm caused by a famously sexist, thin-skinned authoritarian president. Whether or not Jemele should be fired (she shouldn’t), or Hillary should take more personal blame for a tragically failed bid for the presidency, the “how dare she speak her own mind” rapid response playbook dictates an immediate shut down to whatever she is actually saying or inferred to be saying.

There’s plenty of other noise out there in the atmosphere surrounding all sorts of issues, as well as plenty of serious issues over which we should continue to make a great deal of noise to forward much-needed resistance to injustice. One such issue concerns the historic Title IX. Many recall a key origin of Title IX to literally level the playing field to provide equal opportunities and resources in men and women’s athletic programs. Title IX enacted that “no person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal finance assistance.”

President Obama in 2011 augmented Title IX to address the need for academic institutions to take seriously, and better respond to, sexual violence and harassment. Now, upon this 45th Anniversary year of Title IX, Trump’s obsession to obliterate nearly all progressive policy testament to the existence of an Obama Presidency would appear to have a willing partner in U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos to scrub away and roll back this much-needed provision.

DeVos proposes to revise, or in effect, gut the historic Title IX of provisions concerning response to sexual assault and harassment on college campuses. Citing overreaching, confusing guidelines for on campus due process to hear complaints—or what right wing critics offensively refer to as Kangaroo courts—as presenting “unintended consequences” resulting in a financial burden to colleges, and potentially unfair treatment of accused perpetrators, DeVos plans to “course correct” to be fair to—here it comes—all sides.

Under the administration of a President who has famously and long demonstrated a serious lack of respect for women, especially for the many who have stepped forward over the years to speak their truths as survivors of his serial sexual harassment and assaults, this so-called course correction to make sure all sides are treated fairly will be alarmingly interesting, to say the least. With nearly 57 percent of the accused being overwhelmingly male and white, the symmetry between Trump and this slice of his core fraternal constituency speaks stereo-phonic, level 11 volumes. It’s deafening.

In 1972, Title IX was enacted to uplift the opportunities, experiences, and voices of women above the very real noise that amplified and codified sexism, inequality and injustice.

Tomorrow (September 22, in select cities before wider 9/29 release) the biopic Battle of the Sexes will be released. The movie depicts the events surrounding the 1973 famous match waged by notorious chauvinist Bobby Riggs against now tennis goddess Billie Jean King to prove men’s superiority over women. We all know how that match went down, but we should still go see the movie. I expect it will remind those of us who were conscientious at that time—and demonstrate to those who came later—the importance of both Title IX and the women who, by refusing to have their voices shut-down, changed the world.

We’ve come a long way in 45 years, but sexism still exists and persists, as we are regularly reminded by our President. We cannot allow the voices of survivors and allies be subject to rapid shut-down when speaking up and out to protect Title IX. Let’s make our own very real, and loud, noise by contacting our representatives and urging that they fight like Billie Jean King to protect Title IX.

Andrea Shorter is President of the historic San Francisco Commission on the Status of Women. She is a longtime advocate for criminal and juvenile justice reform, voter rights, and marriage equality. A co-founder of the Bayard Rustin LGBT Coalition, she was a 2009 David Bohnett LGBT Leadership Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government

]]>Fall in the Castrohttp://sfbaytimes.com/fall-in-the-castro/
Thu, 21 Sep 2017 17:03:53 +0000http://sfbaytimes.com/?p=14240By Dr. Tim Seelig Fall is in the air in San Francisco. Can’t you just feel it? The mornings have a chill in the air. Everyone grabs their mittens and ear muffs on the way out of the door. You have to scrape a little frost off of the car windows. There’s that cozy smell […]

The mornings have a chill in the air. Everyone grabs their mittens and ear muffs on the way out of the door. You have to scrape a little frost off of the car windows. There’s that cozy smell of fireplaces warming happy people by the hearth. The trees are turning glorious shades of red and gold. Soon that first snow will dust the hillside. People are getting their sleds out of storage.

Stop! That was somewhere else. Perhaps where you came from. Erase all of that. Fall in San Francisco is kind of “the same but different.”

There are most definitely things that mark the turn of summer to autumn in San Francisco. Most years, it actually gets warmer following the coldest month of the year—August. Not this year, because all we will remember about this August (and talk about for many years to come) is where we were during that record-breaking, climate change-induced, thermometer-busting heat wave on September 1. It was horrible, almost unbearable and lasted … two days.

To mark the change of seasons, most communities around the country have a Fall Harvest Festival. You know, harnessing up the ponies for a hay ride, bobbing for apples, donning various costumes from pilgrims to turkeys, and setting up booths filled with various activities and selling wares.

San Francisco has one of those, too. We have a different name for our annual Fall Festival. It’s called the Folsom Street Fair. It is “the same but different.” Think about the similarities, though. There are harnesses, rides, bobbing and costumes galore. There are booths with a wide range of activities and paraphernalia, too! It just screams to the world: “It’s Fall, people! Folsom is here!” So, get up and put some clothes on (or take some off) and let’s celebrate!

We may not have those chilly mornings marked by a little shiver and “brrrrrrr.” But we have a lot of other things that can give you the shivers and make you say “grrrrrr.” Yup, same but different. And don’t forget the “kinder, gentler” festival—the Castro Street Fair!

Those of you who came here from one of those autumnal climes only have a month or so until your friends start complaining about the piles of leaves and snow. When that first idyllic dusting turns into black slush alongside the streets and stays, like an unwanted relative, for 6 months. Who’s laughing now?

I come from the Lone Star State—a land of two seasons rather than four. Burnt or Frozen. The constant is “brown.” That broad brush is really unfair. There are three lovely days in the spring as the grass turns from brown to green, birds are chirping and mosquitoes are breeding. There are four in the fall when the last of the summer finally gives up the ghost after 100 days over 100 degrees. But the people are really nice. Enough about me, back to you—and me—and San Francisco.

How does one know it’s Fall in the Castro? I am sure you have your very own favorite signals and traditions that Fall is here. One way to know is the spectacular windows—at Cliff’s Hardware! They are the harbingers of autumn with the most fabulous things for the upcoming holidays. They begin by heralding the approach of the gay national holiday, Halloween. But because the holidays all come so quickly, the windows multi-task. The answer is just to put up a sexy skeleton, wearing a boa and tiara (because Cliff’s), holding a stuffed turkey, a Menorah, and some mistletoe, standing next to the most outrageous aluminum Christmas tree.

What would we do without Cliff’s at this crazy time of year?

Twin Peaks starts lining the counter with delicious mugs of Irish Coffee. Hot Cookie adds pumpkin to menu. The Castro Theatre starts showing holiday fare, leading up to the big event on Christmas Eve. Hand Job offers holiday icons for your nails. The naked men trade in their gold lame banana hammocks for tiny little crocheted Christmas stockings. (Try to hang that on the mantle.) The Castro Merchants make the entire gayborhood literally sparkle.

Now, do you want to trade this in for that little Norman Rockwell scene that comes with excruciatingly endless meals with family, raking mountains of red and gold hued leaves, shoveling snow that just won’t stop falling?

Or would you rather start at Union Square with a little ice-skating, jump on a festive decorated cable car to the top of Nob Hill for a hot toddy and a multi-million-dollar view? (It used to be a million-dollar view, but inflation, you know.) Or perhaps a fabulous meal at one of the wide array of Castro eateries, a cup of coffee at any of the 30 or so coffee shops within a two-block radius, followed by a good old Autumn Bar Crawl hitting all of your faves.

And don’t forget to dust off your Santa suit for SantaCon, which originated in San Francisco and is now a worldwide phenomenon. Then rip that Santa suit into small shreds to barely cover the “ornaments” for the amazing Santa Skivvies Run and raise some money for the SF AIDS Foundation. There are also Donna Sachet’s Songs of the Season and a few—9 actually—concerts by the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus!

Wow. Fall in San Francisco is amazing! As far as I am concerned, you can have your piles of red and gold leaves. You can have your drifts of snow. I’ll take the rainbow palette of the Castro and San Francisco any day of the year—especially in the Fall.

It’s the same, but oh so different!

Dr. Tim Seelig is the Artistic Director of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus.

]]>Smuin’s New Season Features Fly Me to the Moon Ballet Tribute to Frank Sinatrahttp://sfbaytimes.com/smuins-new-season-features-fly-moon-ballet-tribute-frank-sinatra/
Thu, 21 Sep 2017 16:54:50 +0000http://sfbaytimes.com/?p=14235As Michael Smuin’s (1938–2007) eponymous company approaches its 24th season, the Bay Area ballet troupe—now known as Smuin Contemporary American Ballet—works hard to continue his legacy of dance and showmanship. Smuin’s current Artistic Director, Celia Fushille, transitioned from dancer to Associate Director under Michael Smuin’s guidance, and continues to move the Company forward with all […]

As Michael Smuin’s (1938–2007) eponymous company approaches its 24th season, the Bay Area ballet troupe—now known as Smuin Contemporary American Ballet—works hard to continue his legacy of dance and showmanship. Smuin’s current Artistic Director, Celia Fushille, transitioned from dancer to Associate Director under Michael Smuin’s guidance, and continues to move the Company forward with all of the energy and panache of its founder. Even a decade after the Tony award-winning choreographer’s passing, memorable stories of Michael Smuin continue to circulate among Smuin patrons.

As Fly Me to the Moon, Smuin’s beloved tribute-ballet to Frank Sinatra, returns this season, many in the Smuin family are reminiscing about the ballet’s premiere 13 years ago. Below, Artistic Director Fushille shares a conversation she had with Michael Smuin during the creation of his new work in the fall of 2004. Set to nine Sinatra classics, this ballet is brimming with Broadway flair—blending ballet, tap, and social dance styles to make a sparkling, charismatic number.

Celia Fushille: You’ve worked with popular music before. Why Sinatra and why now?

Michael Smuin: When Sinatra sings, you naturally want to dance. I was reminded of this recently as I began working on my memoirs and going through my records. So many memories have come flooding back. When my mom and dad would have the radio on while they were fixing dinner and a Sinatra song came on, my dad would pick my mom up and they would dance in the kitchen. It was so romantic! They were excellent ballroom dancers and I loved to watch them dance. When they danced together they were the essence of joy. I feel at this point in my life that this is the right music with the right dancers at the right time. Who doesn’t like Sinatra?

Celia Fushille: You’re drawn to Sinatra, but do you have concerns about attracting a younger audience with Sinatra? Will your younger audience know this music?

Michael Smuin: Good question! The truth is, many young people know and love Sinatra because it’s almost like folk art. It has been passed down from generation to generation. Our younger audience might already be familiar with these ballads, which have been recorded by many other artists singing today.

CF: Did you ever have the opportunity to see Sinatra perform live?

Michael Smuin: Yes, I saw him perform live at the Eden Rock Hotel in Miami in 1963. It came as a revelation to me at that time, that even when he was singing it was like he was talking directly to you. And I felt that every member of the audience had the same feeling, especially the women. Remember that first there was Sinatra, then there was Elvis, and then there were the Beatles. But Sinatra was the first.

Celia Fushille: I know you worked on several projects with Gene Kelly over the years and became close friends. Did he ever mention Frank Sinatra?

Michael Smuin: Yes, he certainly did. I remember one night we were having dinner together after a performance of San Francisco Ballet’s 50th Anniversary Gala, which he hosted with Janet Reed. At one point, I asked him about On the Town and his relationship with Sinatra. “Well,” he said, “I taught Frank Sinatra how to dance. He was the best pupil I ever had. He learned lightning fast and didn’t have to work particularly hard at it. He was just a natural with perfect phrasing and timing.” Gene also remembered Frank was always very gracious in acknowledging the fact that not only was Gene his choreographer, but also his teacher as well. This reminds me of a conversation that Bob Fosse and I were having one day. He said that Frank Sinatra had called him and asked him to put a show together for him. Bob said he was very thrilled and surprised, but had to decline because Sinatra was known to not like rehearsing. Of course, Bob was known as the rehearsal monster. He would rehearse over and over and over again.

Celia Fushille: Getting back to your ballet, from all the wonderful songs that Sinatra made famous, how did you choose the songs that you’re using?

Michael Smuin: That was one of the hardest parts. I had scores of albums and spent literally a year and a half picking out my favorites. But one has to think of a balance. They can’t all be ballads and they can’t all be ‘up’ tunes. Over that period of time, whittling it down was part of the process. I also kept in mind the dancers and what songs I felt were particularly suited to each of them. In other words, each song took on a particular face and body or bodies.

Celia Fushille: Can you tell me something about the dedication of your ballet?

Michael Smuin: I’ve dedicated this ballet to the memory of my dear and close friend, Nancy Stephens. It better be damn good or she’ll come back to haunt me! As it was, when I read her the last list of songs for the ballet, she insisted that I drop one of the songs that she didn’t like and add “The Way You Look Tonight.” Obediently, I made the change. Luckily, I liked that song myself.

As the Company revives the Sinatra medley this season, we hope Michael Smuin’s work continues to inspire and uplift the next generation of Smuin audiences. Although many years have passed since its debut, Fly Me to the Moon is timeless in its ability to reach ballet and Sinatra fans alike. To assuage any doubts that Michael Smuin might have had during his creative process, one can say with certainty that the ballet is, indeed, “damn good.”

Smuin’s new season kicks off September 22–23 with Dance Series 01 at the Lesher Center in Walnut Creek and September 29–October 7 at San Francisco’s Palace of Fine Arts. Featuring a variety of works showcasing the Company dancers’ strength and versatility, the performance is one that you won’t want to miss! Tickets and more information are available at smuinballet.org

]]>New Film About Mental Illness Draws from Gay Filmmaker’s Real-Life Experienceshttp://sfbaytimes.com/new-film-mental-illness-draws-gay-filmmakers-real-life-experiences/
Thu, 21 Sep 2017 16:43:28 +0000http://sfbaytimes.com/?p=14230By Gary M. Kramer– Directed and co-written by the openly gay Vincent Sabella, Elizabeth Blue, opening September 22 at the Roxie Theatre, is based on the filmmaker’s personal experiences with schizophrenia. In this heartfelt and compelling film, the titular character (Anna Schafer) leaves a treatment facility and moves in with her fiancée Grant (Ryan Vincent). […]

Directed and co-written by the openly gay Vincent Sabella, Elizabeth Blue, opening September 22 at the Roxie Theatre, is based on the filmmaker’s personal experiences with schizophrenia. In this heartfelt and compelling film, the titular character (Anna Schafer) leaves a treatment facility and moves in with her fiancée Grant (Ryan Vincent). She also sees Dr. Bowman (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), a psychiatrist who tries to help her adjust her medication and get “back to normal.”

The filmmaker and his husband, Joseph Dain, who produced the film, talked (in separate interviews) with me for the San Francisco Bay Times about their experiences making Elizabeth Blue.

Gary M. Kramer: Can you talk about how you developed the story from your experiences?

Vincent Sabella: All these characters are real. Dr. Bowman is my real Dr. Bowman and he consulted on the film. Elizabeth is myself and Grant is my husband Joseph. I based this script on a year, 2010, when all my medications hit a plateau and I was having schizophrenic episodes every day. Joe was taking me to see my psychiatrist every day because he couldn’t handle me. I either had to go to a psychiatric hospital or Joe would have to take a year off work to find the right regimen of meds to get me back to normal. Carol is loosely based on my mother. All the characters are real people in my life, so it wasn’t a stretch to write this.

Gary M. Kramer: I imagine making the film triggered some strong emotions. Were there any episodes on the set?

Joseph Dain: Making the film brought up some things, and Vin hit some bumps along the way, but we made it a point to tell the cast and crew that there will possibly be some days where Vin will have an episode and leave the set. In those cases, I would step in and complete directing the scene. That happened twice, but the cast and crew rallied behind us and were supportive.

Gary M. Kramer: Elizabeth wants to “have a life and be normal.” Can you talk about this and how you created the episodes that define her life in the film?

Vincent Sabella: When I began writing the script, I knew I would base it on that year, but I didn’t remember everything that happened. Joe tells me I was running around at night. He videotaped me, so I forgot I had a hallucination of a train. It was a choice that I move fast in recovery and work on getting better. I always wanted to just be like everyone else and not be a victim of mental illness. I have it and embrace it and tell everyone about it, but I don’t want it to be a stigma.

Gary M. Kramer: Joe, the character of Grant is a thinly veiled version of you. Can you talk about how you worked with actor Ryan Vincent on the character?

Joseph Dain: Ryan was intrigued by this concept that Grant loved Elizabeth, no matter what her mental health or state of mind was. Ryan engaged with my deep affection and love for Vin, but also my ability to grapple with something that is difficult for many people. I wanted Ryan to understand that his character, while he’s human, he’s fearless. What motivates him the most is his love for her, and that surmounts any bad times. That’s not to say it wasn’t difficult for me, but I came to accept Vin’s mental health as a part of who he is. There’s a message for people at large that love conquers all, and while that’s a slogan for many, those who have dealt with any major illness know our ability and capacity to love is incredible.

Gary M. Kramer: Even though the film is based on your lives, Elizabeth Blue is about a heterosexual couple. Can you discuss that decision?

Vincent Sabella: It wasn’t so much that the main character was straight or gay, it was more about it being a love story and schizophrenia. I thought more people, gay or straight, would relate to the film if it were a young woman. It’s about love and finding love, and the ability to get past your demons and what you are going through, and I wanted to show that people with mental illness are all normal; our brains just think a little differently. When people ask me about having mental illness, I say it’s a blessing in disguise. It makes me think and feel differently. It’s odd to say that, but it’s just how I feel.

Joseph Dain: Vin made it a heterosexual couple because not as many people would see this if it was about a gay couple. That’s an unfortunate truth about the industry. It wasn’t about us; it was about tackling this serious mental health issue.